There’s only one thing better than a country wedding and that’s a country wedding where the bride wore polka dots. Oh yes! Today’s wedding not only has the sweetest couple who embraced their wedding planning with the sweetest touches but oh my, Tamar’s tea length polka dot wedding dress? Well that, my friends, is deliciously divine.

Tamar tells their story. “Our paths first crossed quite a few years ago when we met through a guy that I was dating at the time. Years later, when we were both attending the same church, we hit it off. We got together only a month before I was leaving for London for a year, and Glen was also about to leave for the Philippines for a year to work with a mission organisation. So we spent our first year as a couple primarily on skype or the phone. I have to say it was a great way of really getting to know each other, because you’re forced to talk!”

Photography today was by Brooke Holm of Lace & Bowties. Brooke has captured such honest, beautiful photographs that really feel like the intimate beauty of the day. Tamar and Glen had a wedding movie shot by Chris Schoenmaker.

Tamar put together her own bouquet with the help of family members. Tamar explains ” My sister-in-law and I selected the flowers from the Rocklea Flower Markets and then my bridesmaids and sisters-in-law helped put the bouquets and table arrangements together the night before the wedding. ”

Tamar had her gown made by a dressmaker, who also made purple bridesmaids gowns for her.. She remarks “My dress was inspired by a wedding dress that Audrey Hepburn wore in Funny Face. I drew loose drawings and had it made by a dear old lady called Mrs Mabley. The silk polka dot organza, and dupion silk were ordered from Gardams.” Tamar finished off her dress with a brooch from mysweetmuse.

Tamar and Glen chose Henzell’s Chapel, Mt Pleasant for their wedding ceremony. Tamar remarks ” We couldn’t have asked for a more picturesque venue. We said our vows in Henzell’s Chapel, a sweet little stone chapel on private land that the family had built for their daughter to get married in 16 years ago. The property is so well maintained, and we enjoyed the sweet country air.”

Walking to the ceremony was one of Tamar’s favourite parts of the day . She explains “One of my favourite moments was walking along the grass with my parents on each arm, and as we reached the entrance to the chapel, our guests let out a big cheer! It was so spontaneous and natural, and it felt so wonderful that everyone had really come with a spirit of fun and joy.

I walked down the aisle to ‘Never Had Nobody Like You’ by M. Ward. This song instantly put a smile on everyone’s faces and set the tone for the day.” Tamar’s father, brother and friends all performed songs during the ceremony.

Tamar and Glen put special touches into their ceremony to celebrate their beliefs. Tamar explains ” During the ceremony, we washed each other’s feet as our first act as a married couple. It was probably the most moving part of the day. Oh the tears! For us, it was such a special way that we could imitate Jesus’ example of servanthood in our relationship. Glen and I really wanted our day to honour God and all that he has done in our lives, so we designed our ceremony in a way that reflected that. It was such a special time, and there were lots of tears (the good kind!) “

Tamar, a graphic designer loved the chance to be creative for herself. ” I am used to trying to please my clients, so it was lovely to finally be my own client and create things that only had to please us! Some of the things we made were the flower girls’ pin wheels, silk roses for hair clips and decorations, the bridesmaids corsages and clutch bags, invitations, and order of service fans. “

Guests were able to celebrate after the ceremony, Tamar notes “We really wanted the day to reflect us and not be traditional for tradition’s sake. We wanted the day to be relaxing and enjoyable for everyone, so we tried to design all the little details around that, for example we set up tea and scones and some picnic rugs at the ceremony venue so people could relax and put their feet up afterwards.”

One of Tamar’s favourite memories was seeing the day come together. “I loved seeing all our hard work pay off, and watching everyone enjoy all the little details that we organised. It felt like such a reflection of us, and not just a copy and paste of other weddings. It was such a thrill hearing everyone talk about how much they enjoyed our day in the weeks and months afterwards. ”

Of their photographer, Brooke says “Our photographer Brooke Holm did such an amazing job. Brooke’s ability to capture the honesty of the day was outstanding. We’ve ended up with an album that sums up the emotion of the day so well.”

Tamar and Glen hired a vintage FJ Holden from FJ Classic Hire. Tamar recalls ” One of our favourite memories as a couple, is hanging out with the bridal party after our photos had been taken. There we were in the middle of nowhere, leaning on our gorgeous 1950’s FJ Holden and listening to some fantastic 1950’s music playing on a little stereo. We felt like we were back in the day!”

Tamar and Glen celebrated with guests at Mt Pleasant Community Hall. Tamar explains “Our reception was held in the community hall just down the road. We spent two days decorating the hall, and hanging lights. It was exhausting, but so so worth it.”

The tables were long. Tamar recalls “At the reception, we set up the tables in a big U shape which increased a sense of connection, and made it feel like a big communal feast.”

Tamar admits her biggest DIY project may have been a little ambitious. ” The craziest one – I whittled the little birds that sat on top of the cake. That alone took 2 days and my hands were so sore afterwards! My mum did an amazing job sewing the napkin rings and hessian table runners, and my mother-in-law lovingly sewed the order of service fans together.” The couple’s cupcake wedding cake was made by Coochie Cupcakes. “For dessert, we filled up a table with home-made sweet treats and put our cup cake tower in the middle. It was a feast for the eyes and our tummies! I wish I could go back in time and taste everything again.”

Guests dined on good, old fashioned, scrumptious food by Blue Banana Catering. “We had a relaxed gourmet BBQ for dinner, and Blue Banana hit the hungry spot! Their level of service was fantastic, and our guests were raving about their food.”

The couple hired swing jazz band The Calibre Cats. Tamar says ” They were SUCH a highlight of the day. We loved seeing everyone’s faces light up as they began to play. Their music is so contagious and full of joyful energy .One of my bridesmaids and her husband wrote such a fun song for us called “Collide”. We had been going to swing dance classes just before the wedding, so we pulled out a few moves (a little unco-ordinatedly) and danced along to it for our first dance.”

Congratulations Tamar and Glen! Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us on Polka Dot Bride! Thank you also to Brooke Holm of Lace & Bowties for sharing today’s images with us!

After seeing the photos of this venue my fiance Josh and I had to go check it out for ourselves. I got goosebumps when we walked into the chapel and Josh said he had butterflies in his tummy. When we were on our way out down the drive way there was a beautiful rainbow. I am thrilled to say we have finally found our venue. Thank you Tamar and Polka Dot Bride for sharing these photos.

Tamar, Can you recommend the company that you hired the chairs through? Also did you provide transport for your guests or did you leave them to find their own way? My only concern about the venue is the lack of accommodation nearby. (unless you have any tips for that too?)

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